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RE. March 2014 reportage in l’Actualité (Québec) about sexual attacks and offences committed by members of the Canadian Military. [ https://renataveritasopinion.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/sexual-crimes-in-the-armed-forces-canada/ ]
Following a tremendous amount of responses by the public and also from military sides on this particular shocking issue, an external review is now being conducted, supported by also high Military Brass. Examinations headed by a former Supreme Court of Canada Judge. This to be an independent inquiry, to interrogate active and retired members of the Military, as well as victims of such abuses, many of whom do not serve anymore. Still their lives have been cruelly affected.

One of my favourite topics (beside THE NIGHTMARE CONDO). Renting a let’s say small casita with kitchen for one person, but for let’s say at least one month, preferably two months or more. I have chosen Mexico. Prices are mostly per night. Why not per month ? The casita, or casa is mostly for more than one person. If it is rented for large groups, no wonder that the entire world (of vacation rentals) is complaining more and more about bed bug infestations. Naturally, if you have a large group of people living together, and who knows arriving from all sorts of different locations. And for that pleasure of living with bugs, one must pay a fortune. And no sleep with the added pleasure of living next to large groups of party-goers, up all night.

In the past I have found something – small casita for one – for US$500 a month. That is doable. But try to find something fitting via Google, always end up “Florida” (or some other questionable location) instead of Mexico. And Heck, I have done this all my life, specializing in information retrieval systems since the 60’s. Developing them. I know that my search algorithms are solid. We refer to this as ‘stereotyping’: Meaning, sleeps 12, and you need to go to Florida!

Cruising or not, that is the question if you want to get to a specific location. Such as crossing the Atlantic. Some interesting site I discovered is actually discussing the advantages of cruising over airline travel. [ http://cruise-compare.com/cruiseSearch.php?destination=Transatlantic&gclid=CP7pnrLE8L8CFbRzMgodJSsA2g ] . A laugh really when you think that all transatlantic cruises (or for that matter most cruises) take off from a port which is “too far to walk to”. In other words, still needs a lengthy air flight to get to the port of embarkation. Plus one or two nights extra overnight hotel for the start and the end of a cruise. Mostly add several more nights. Might as well fly directly from let’s say North America/Canada over the Atlantic to Europe. Is much faster that way.

Secondly, planning a Trans Atlantic cruise means mostly a one-way air ticket, because the return travel is via different route. Which – when you must fly via any American port – means that you get stopped at the US arrival airport (which is also where the cruise embarkation port is) by immigration because you do not have a return ticket (or something else has gone wrong with their entrance/exit visa system). In the meantime you have spent the tremendous expense of having already purchased the fare for the cruise. The cruise line itself will not be responsible for any incoming flight documents required. On cruises I made in the past (a few only) I found most passengers came from a location close to the embarkation ports. Yet, here in Canada (Pacific Coast) they are selling cruises whose embarkation port is in Florida like hot cakes. End of story.